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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25023547">Lost In Pure Heart Valley</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/renpawbs/pseuds/renpawbs'>renpawbs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Self-Insert AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Alternate Universe, Exploration, Gay Male Character, M/M, Mysterious, Self-Insert, Story Arc, mature language, mature themes, sfw</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:21:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25023547</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/renpawbs/pseuds/renpawbs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A wounded stranger arrives in the kingdom and begins a friendship with Sheriff Mao Mao and his deputy, Badgerclops. However, things aren't always as they seem to be as Mao Mao and Badgerclops will soon come to find out.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>RenMao</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Self-Insert AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1811995</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Arrival</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a big project I'm having fun creating where my sona, Ren, is inserted into this Mao Mao alternate universe. The character of Ren in these fics is a little different than him as the representation of myself. My main focus will be on exploring relationships and small stories with him. This is just the beginning of this series I'm already enjoying writing. While this fic here is primarily SFW for the purposes of establishing the story, I tend to enjoy writing NSFW stuff more, so that will be coming soon!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>High in the sky overhead, sitting practically motionless, was the early summer sun, beaming down on the land below. The pale blue sky was dotted with a few wisps of white, fluffy, cotton candy-like clouds which moved slowly in the wind. Traversing across a dirt path on the forest floor, a weary traveller trudged his way towards a distant, looming object. The large, round, pink, crystalline object towered over everything else, including the massive red and white palace that sat just below it. </p><p>The traveller took a moment to rest up against a massive oak tree at the forest’s edge. The traveller was a raccoon, with tired eyes and an uncomfortable, somewhat nauseated expression currently plastered on his face. His light pink sweater appeared dirty and stained while the same matching colour beanie that sat upon his head, appeared in better condition, albeit, a little lopsided. He had a brown satchel that hung around his shoulder and rested by his hip, the contents inside known to nobody but him. As he took a step forwards, he felt one of his legs give way and he collapsed to the grass below. </p><p>“C’mon, Ren, you can do this.” He thought to himself, coughing as he was hunched over, “Just a little further, you can make it.”</p><p>Ren held himself up off the ground with his shaking arms and got back to his feet. He placed a hand on his belly, which was feeling wet. Now that his adrenaline had worn off, some pain was beginning to kick in. Ren hobbled along over to a wood fence which surrounded a small village, far below the pink crystal monument and castle. He glanced around at his surroundings, admiring the quaint little tudor style buildings, before climbing over the fence as best as he could and falling to the ground below. Picking himself up once again, Ren dragged himself down the cobblestone paths over to a large public fountain. The fountain had a grey concrete reservoir that held the water with a small centerpiece. The centerpiece was a crystal heart that looked identical to the gigantic one up on the hill, just on a smaller scale. It sat upon a round, almost hour glass-like, golden column, which rested upon a white base that was lined with gold diamonds and heart pieces. It looked quite elegant but Ren had no time to focus on the smaller details of it. Looking around to make sure nobody was watching what he was about to do, he glanced left and right to see nobody in the surrounding area. He advanced towards the fountain, placed his satchel on the ground and laid his stomach against the edge, gripping onto it tightly with his hands and leaned over towards the water to get a drink. He didn’t care how clean the water was, he was desperately thirsty and he sure as hell didn’t pass by any lemonade stands on his way here.<br/>
As he leaned over the edge, into the water, he could feel his arms lose their strength and he slumped forwards, his face plunging into the water, his head almost completely submerged. He attempted to pull himself up but hit body was too weak and refused to cooperate.</p><p>“So this is how I die…” Ren thought as his vision began to go black.</p><p>At the same moment Ren was leaning over the edge, Sheriff Mao Mao and his trusty deputy, Badgerclops, were making their rounds of patrol nearby. The two hadn’t had much of an eventful day, there was no monsters to storm the kingdom, nor were there any villanous people ready to strike. Some days were like these, they were just plainly simple, relaxing, yet somewhat boring. However, the two had gotten into a heated argument as they strolled along around the village. </p><p>“Look, I said I was sorry, what more do you want?” Mao Mao asked, bewildered.</p><p>“I know you’re sorry, thank you for apologizing, dude. It just doesn’t change how I feel.” Badgerclops replied with a shrug.</p><p>“You know how I get around cobbler, I can’t help myself.”</p><p>“I was just looking forwards to us sharing some is all.”</p><p>“If it makes you happy, how about we bake another one tomorrow?” Mao Mao offered.</p><p>“Fine, I was just looking to having the one we made today-” Badgerclops grumbled before being cut off as he walked right into Mao Mao who had stopped abruptly in his tracks.</p><p>“Badgerclops, look.” He pointed over to the fountain where they saw Ren’s slumped over figure laying face down with his head underwater, “Looks like someone’s gotten piss drunk and passed out in the fountain.”</p><p>“Oh shit, you’re right.” Badgerclops exclaimed, “Who is it though? I don’t recognize them especially that striped pattern on their tail.”</p><p>“Let’s go find out then.” </p><p>Mao Mao and Badgerclops approached Ren and stood curiously beside him. Badgerclops picked up a stick from off the ground and curiously poked his back but he didn’t move. Mao Mao reached down, grabbing Ren by the shoulder and pulled him up out of the water and into a seated position on the ground.<br/>
“Is he breathing?” Badgerclops asked, “I don’t wanna deal with a dead guy today.”</p><p>Mao Mao listened closely, placing his ear close to Ren’s chest.</p><p>“Yeah, his heart is beating too, its slow and faint but I can hear it.”</p><p>Badgerclops breathed a sigh of relief. </p><p>“Hey, you.” Mao Mao called out, shaking Ren by the shoulder. </p><p>Ren remained unresponsive, his eyes closed as he leaned up against the fountain, his head lolling forwards slightly. </p><p>Mao Mao stuck out one of his fingers and lightly touched it against Ren’s ear that stuck out from two lits in his beanie, causing it to twitch as a reflex. Mao Mao rubbed his own chin as he thought for a moment.</p><p>“Had a little too much to drink there?” He asked but his eyes began to fall a little lower down on Ren’s crumbled form as he noticed a peculiar stain that had formed upon his sweater on his abdomen. </p><p>Cautiously, Mao Mao pinched the sweater between two of his fingers and lifted it up, revealing a pretty harsh wound. It appeared as though this supposed drunkard was slashed in the belly with a knife or other sharp weapon and was bleeding pretty badly. Mao Mao’s expression turned to shock and excitement, knowing in his mind that nothing like this had ever happened before in recent memory. After all, an unconscious stranger with a wound appearing in this soft, lovely little kingdom was an extremely unusual occurrence. Badgerclops, meanwhile, looked at it concerned and a little disgusted, he was never a fan of blood but popped open a pouch on his bandolier and rummaged through it. He removed some gauze, folded it up and placed it upon Ren’s wound, then pulled his sweater back down over it. As he did so, Mao Mao whistled and in a few seconds, their aerocycle roared into view, stopping just a few feet away. </p><p>“Badgerclops, please take them to our HQ, see if you can stitch him up. I should go grab something from Camille and Honey.”</p><p>Badgerclops nodded, scooped up the satchel from beside him and helped Ren to his feet, though he went limp. Badgerclops threw Ren’s arm around his shoulders and heaved him over to the aerocycle, placing him onto the backseat and putting a seat belt across his waist so he didn’t fall off. Then, Badgerclops sat on the front seat and took off into the air. He could feel Ren’s body slump against him and wrap two arms around his sides but, unsure if he was awake or not, he said nothing, as they flew over to their house.</p><p>Landing on the front lawn, Badgerclops dismounted, unbuckled the seatbelt and scooped up Ren by sliding one arm under his legs and bridal carried him into their home. Sliding the door behind him with his foot, Badgerclops placed Ren upon their comfortable red sofa and set his satchel on the floor leaning up next to the couch. </p><p>Badgerclops removed Ren’s beanie from his head, exposing a little tuft of grey hair, which matched his general fur colour, that poked out between his ears. He then carefully removed Ren’s sweater and placed a midnight blue blanket over his waist, so as not to keep him exposed. Taking both his beanie and sweater, Badgerclops placed them into their washing machine to get the dirt, grit and the blood stain out of it. Returning back to the living room, Badgerclops inspected Ren’s body for any additional injuries but only found some scrapes and bruises, the slash in his gut appeared to be the most severe and needed to be tended to immediately. He had no idea how much blood he’d lost but judging from the stain, it hadn’t appeared to be a life threatening amount. Badgerclops peeled the gauze off the wound and set his arm to steady mode, making sure it didn’t shake. Heading over to their bathroom, he retrieved a first aid kit located behind their bathroom mirror above the sink and came back to the couch. He poured some disinfectant on the wound, then took out a sewing needle and some surgical stitches and looked carefully as he sewed the wound back up. He wiped off any blood and disposed of any garbage he had nearby before moving the blanket up to his chin, covering most of his body. Badgerclops knew Mao Mao would take some time walking back from the kingdom to his house, so he sat down on a cushion he placed upon the floor and booted up his video game console, beginning to play a bit of House Painters: The Revenge as he waited, while he began hearing the raccoon faintly snoring behind him.</p><p>An hour or so later, Mao Mao returned, opening up the door to their home and entering with a small bottle in his hand.</p><p>“Whatcha got there?” Badgerclops asked, glancing over briefly before returning his attention to the TV.</p><p>“Healing potion, apparently. Helps heal wounds quicker.”</p><p>“Cool.”</p><p>Mao Mao unscrewed the bottle cap and poured the potion, which came out as a liquid orange that appeared darker than orange juice, onto Ren’s stitched up injury. Once that was done, he placed some more gauce on it to soak up the extra bit of potion and taped it to his stomach.<br/>
“What are we gonna do with him?” Badgerclops questioned.</p><p>“I don’t know.”</p><p>“Can we keep him?”</p><p>“No. Well… maybe. Let’s talk to him when he wakes up and see what his deal is, who he is, what he’s doing and what’s happened.” Mao Mao suggested, “For now, let’s keep an eye on him and hope that he wakes up tomorrow.”</p><p>_______________________________</p><p>Dawn broke on the horizon, the sky turning a dim blueish-grey colour until a dazzling array of pink and gold overpowered it as the sun slowly rose. The sleeping residents had only begun to wake from their slumber, plodding through their morning routines of getting out of bed, eating breakfast, bathing, brushing their teeth and so on. Mao Mao, however, was already up and about, having finished a training exercise out in his dojo for his morning workout. As he entered back into their living space, he noticed the raccoon beginning to stir on the couch, they sat up and rubbed their eyes, looking around and taking in their surroundings before falling on Mao Mao.</p><p>“Hey… got any water?” He asked in a hushed, somewhat raspy voice.</p><p>“Sure thing. One second.” Mao Mao replied, departing from the room and fetching Ren a glass of water from the kitchen faucet.</p><p>He returned, placing the water in Ren’s hand, who thanked him and chugged the water, coughing a little as he swallowed the last drop and handed it back to him. Mao Mao placed the glass on the coffee table and sat on the other end of the couch facing his guest.</p><p>“So, do you mind if I ask you a couple things?” Mao Mao asked.</p><p>“Go for it.” Ren responded.</p><p>“Who are you?”</p><p>“Nobody really, I’m just a guy.” He shrugged.</p><p>“No, no. Like, who are you? What’s your name? Where do you live? What do you do?” Mao Mao elaborated.</p><p>“Oh, okay. So, my name’s Ren, I don’t live anywhere currently, I’ve been spending much of my time travelling since I left school and I don’t really do anything I guess.” He shrugged, “I mostly just camp out in certain places every so often.” </p><p>“Well, Ren, where’s all your camping gear?” </p><p>“Lost it.” Ren replied simply, seeming reluctant to give more details, “I gotta ask, who are you?”</p><p>“I’m Sheriff Mao Mao, the legendary hero of Pure Heart Kingdom!” Mao Mao proudly exclaimed, “I’m sure you’ve heard of me before.”</p><p>“Honestly, I think I have.” Ren replied, noticing Mao Mao’s eyes light up with excitement. “Kinda cool I get to meet a hero.” He chuckled.</p><p>Mao Mao could hardly contain himself but managed to calm himself down and focus back on the questioning. He was eager to know more about the person he had staying in his house. </p><p>“What happened? How’d you lose your camping gear?” </p><p>“Ambushed by bandits. They took my shit, I fought maybe two of em off but there was too many and I had to run.” Ren explained, “Hey… is this an interrogation? Am I a suspect in something?” Ren asked, defensively.</p><p>“No, no. Not at all. I just don’t know anything about you and my partner and I are just curious about you. It’s rare something like this happens around these parts.” Mao Mao assured him.</p><p>“Partner?”</p><p>“My deputy, Badgerclops. He’s still sleeping, you’ll meet him shortly.” </p><p>“Ah, okay. So a stranger turning up in this… Pure Heart Kingdom, you said? It’s rare?” </p><p>“Not exactly.” Mao Mao chuckled, scratching the back of his head, “Colourful people have come and gone, some good, some bad. There’s mostly monsters that come by and cause chaos, it’s kind of become a common occurrence. But having a stranger show up, seemingly knocked out and suffering from a severe injury, I think you’re the first in this case that I know about.”</p><p>Ren curiously removed the blankets exposing his fuzzy, slightly chubby belly and examined the bandage that was taped across his cut. He gently peeled the tape off and cocked his head slightly when he noticed he’d been stitched up and currently felt no pain in that area.</p><p>“Guess that’s gonna become a scar then, huh?” Ren mumbled.</p><p>“Yeah. Don’t worry about it.” Mao Mao replied, pulling his red sash that sat snugly around his abdomen and waist revealing about a dozen or so pink scars that he’d presumably obtained during fights and battles, “I’ve got plenty, you’re not alone.” </p><p>Ren smiled at this, appreciating Mao Mao’s willingness to open up a little and share that, he too, had faced similar injuries. He was also hopeful that his fur was fluffy enough to conceal the scar so he wouldn’t have to see it every time he looked in the mirror.</p><p>“How’d you get that?” Mao Mao asked.</p><p>“I don’t… exactly remember. I think one of those bandits whipped out a dagger or switchblade or something and took a swipe at me and it made contact? That’s my guess.” Ren replied, “Is it okay if I get my clothes back? I should probably get out of your hair.”</p><p>“Nonsense.” Mao Mao chuckled, “You’re not a nuisance. Right now, you’re our guest. I’ll get your stuff.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>Mao Mao departed from the room, returning a minute or so later, handing over the now, freshly clean and sweet smelling clothing. Ren tugged his sweater on, then fit the beanie back onto his head, making sure his ears were poking through the two slits he cut out near the ridge of his hat so they felt comfortable when he wore it. Mao Mao took notice of Ren’s tail flicking slightly from this as a sign he felt happy and satisfied. Just then, as Ren sat back down on the couch from getting dressed, Badgerclops strolled into the living room.</p><p>“Mornin’.” He yawned.</p><p>“Good morning, Badgerclops.” Mao Mao replied, while Ren gave a feeble wave and shot him a faint smile. “Why don’t you put on some breakfast for us and our guest?” </p><p>“Sup dude.” Badgerclops simply greeted Ren, then apologized for being so sluggish and that he’d be feeling a lot more energized and content after he had something to eat. </p><p>The trio filtered into the kitchen, with Mao Mao pulling out a seat at the table for Ren to sit down in, then sat across from him as Badgerclops began rummaging through the cupboards and fridge, taking out ingredients and clicking dials on the stove. As he worked, preparing their breakfast, he hummed a familiar tune, but one Ren couldn’t quite place and he didn’t bother to ask. </p><p>“What’d you say your name was?” Badgerclops asked as he sliced off part of a stick of butter, dropping it into the frying pan, which immediately began to sizzle as it sat on the hot element.</p><p>“I didn’t but, I’m Ren.” He replied, “Nice to meet ya. Mao Mao told me before your name is Badgerclops.”</p><p>Badgerclops nodded, “What would you like for breakfast?”</p><p>“Whatcha makin?” </p><p>“Couple of things, omelettes, bacon, scrambled eggs, French toast, hashbrowns, that kinda stuff.”</p><p>“French toast and bacon is good for me, thanks.”</p><p>Badgerclops gave a thumbs up and returned to cooking, while Mao Mao noticed Ren seeming to take a keen interest in Badgerclops’ robotic arm as he stretched it around to grab things as he cooked. Trying to take Ren’s focus back to him, Mao Mao reiterated what he had been told earlier on the couch and Badgerclops’ ears perked up at one particular detail.</p><p>“Group of bandits?” He sputtered, turning to Mao Mao with a startled expression on his face, “You don’t think it was…” His voice trailed off.</p><p>Mao Mao clued in at that moment, “Ren, were these people you were attacked by the Thicket Thieves?” </p><p>“Thicket Thieves? No, I didn’t think to ask what they called themselves while apparently getting knifed in the stomach. Who are they?”</p><p>“A group of bandits we know about.” Mao Mao replied. </p><p>“Let’s just say we’ve had a sort of history with them.” Badgerclops said sheepishly, turning his attention back to cooking, “Did they have cybernetic body parts?” </p><p>“Not to my knowledge, no.” Ren answered. </p><p>Badgerclops breathed a sigh of relief. To him, facing off with the Thicket Thieves once again was not a daunting task. He knew that he and Mao Mao could easily defeat them, he just disliked recalling issues with his past. Mao Mao continued explaining what Ren had told him, while Ren filled in a few details he’d forgotten about or, at the time, neglected to mention, since he initially felt awfully apprehensive. But now that he’d spent just a little more time with them, he felt more comfortable opening up. </p><p>“So, that’s sorta what’s happened with me.” Ren surmised, “I basically live in a tent going from campsite to campsite trying to… figure out something to do for myself I guess. I keep myself busy or distract myself from my problems. Now that my tent is gone, I don’t know what to do with myself.”</p><p>He watched Badgerclops set a plate down in front of hime, with bacon cooked precisely the way he liked it and a few slices of French toast drizzled thoroughly in maple syrup. Badgerclops placed a plate of food down for Mao Mao and one for himself and he seated himself down and began to dig in. Ren helped himself to his own meal and was pleasantly surprised at how scrumptious it was. </p><p>“Would you like to stay here with us?” Mao Mao offered, after chomping down on a forkful of scrambled eggs, lightly sprinkled with a dash of salt and pepper. </p><p>“Like… for how long?”</p><p>Mao Mao shrugged. “You can stay as long as you like. We don’t have a ton of extra space at the moment so would you like to crash on the couch?” </p><p>“Cool, yeah, that would work.” Ren replied, taking a bite of his toast, “But I don’t wanna be a burden to yall. Sorry to say, but I don’t really have anything to offer. How bout if I paid a little rent? I could do some odd jobs around town and maybe even to a few things around the house for you guys? I’d hate to feel like I’m mooching off ya, I’d like to hold up on my end.”</p><p>“I like that, that sounds like a fair kinda trade for me. When we go get groceries, you’ll have to come along and pick some stuff out for yourself.” Mao Mao observed, while Badgerclops scarfed down the last of his breakfast, then extended his robotic arm to put his plate in the sink, rather than getting up from the table to do it himself. </p><p>“This was absolutely delicious, Badgerclops, thank you.” Ren said as he ate the final piece of syrup soaked bacon on his plate. </p><p>He stood up and collected Mao Mao’s plate and brought them over to the sink, squirting a bit of dish soap into it and turned on the tap. He rolled up his sleeves and started scrubbing them clean with a sponge and placed each plate into the drying rack located adjacent to the sink.</p><p>“I think there’s somebody you’d like to meet.” Mao Mao smirked, “Someone who would like to meet you too.”</p><p>“Oh? Who’s that?” </p><p>“Badgerclops, should we inform the king there’s a new resident to the kingdom?” </p><p>“Yeah, we could do that.” </p><p>The pair stood up from the table and headed out to the front yard where they’d parked the aerocycle the previous evening and Mao Mao hopped on the front, grabbing tightly to the handle bars. Badgerclops instinctively slid onto the back seat behind him. Ren stood awkwardly trying to figure out how he’d fit on the aerocycle. It was a two person vehicle after all and considering he was just a little shorter than Badgerclops but a bit taller than Mao Mao, he would take up too much room.</p><p>“Should we walk?” Mao Mao suggested.</p><p>“Nah dude, fuck that! That’s so far away, you know I hate walking.” Badgerclops groaned.</p><p>“He’s not wrong, that looks like a super far walk.” Ren noted, staring off at the castle. </p><p>“Wimps.” Mao Mao grumbled under his breath, “Alright, what’s the plan then?” </p><p>The three of them sat in pensive silence, trying to come up with a good idea that would satisfy all of them. </p><p>“How long does it take you guys to get from here to the castle?” Ren asked.</p><p>“Couple of minutes. Why?” Bagerclops answered.</p><p>“What if I waited here and you dropped Badgerclops off, then came back to get me?” Ren offered, “Would that work?”</p><p>Mao Mao and Badgerclops looked at each other, “Yeah, that’ll work.” Mao Mao replied, “See you in a couple of minutes.</p><p>Ren watched them soar off into the sky and he sat down on the front porch. He contemplated retrieving an item from his satchel that he left indoors by the couch but was hesitant, unsure of when exactly Mao Mao would return and if he’d get caught for what he was planning to do. Thinking it best to remain where he was, he laid on his back, watching the clouds roll by overhead until the distinct hum of a motor came into earshot as Mao Mao returned, curving the aerocycle’s path as he came in for a landing and rolled to a stop on the grass. Ren got to his feet, strolled over and hopped onto the aerocycle behind Mao Mao, slipping his arms around his waist and holding him tightly.</p><p>“Uh… you know there are handles to hold onto back there.” Mao Mao pointed out, feeling his face begin to go hot.</p><p>“Oh sorry, was I not… supposed to do that?”</p><p>“Er… it’s okay. I’ll make an exception for you, since you’re… um… badly injured.” Mao Mao stumbled on his words. </p><p>Before Ren could say anything, Mao Mao stuffed a spare helmet onto his head, clicked his own helmet to activate and they rocketed into the sky, blasting through the air as the castle in the distance began to get bigger and bigger as they approached it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Royal Visit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After Ren is introduced to the enchanting royal highness, King Snugglemagne, Mao Mao and Badgerclops get into a scuffle with the Sky Pirates. Ren begins to question his past and motives when one of the pirates offers Ren a recruitment position.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Only a few minutes later, Mao Mao and Ren arrived, landing in the front courtyard of the castle, where Badgerclops was seated on the ground, waiting patiently for them to return as he tapped away at his mobile video game console. Mao Mao brought the aerocycle to a halt and Ren unwrapped his arms from him and slid off the aerocycle to the ground, his legs and arms trembling a little and he paused to take a breather.</p><p>“You good?” Badgerclops asked while Mao Mao dismounted. </p><p>“Y-yeah.” Ren stammered, “I’m just not used to riding on that thing.” </p><p>“Don’t worry, after a few more rides, it’ll become pretty mundane.” Mao Mao replied, “Badgerclops, at some point soon, would you be able to work on a little side cart so we can travel by aerocycle all at once?”</p><p>“Sure.” Badgerclops shrugged, while saving his game.</p><p>“I can help if you like. I know a few things about mechanics building, including some weaponry. Plus I’m a hands on learner.” Ren offered but Badgerclops shook his head.</p><p>“I get distracted easily, it’s best if I work alone. Thanks for your offer though, I appreciate it.”</p><p>Badgerclops stood up, shoved his game device into a pouch on his bandolier and the trio strolled towards the front doors of the palace. Two guards posed on either side of the large wood doors opened them and they made their way inside. Ren followed behind Mao Mao and Badgerclops while looking around the insides of the castle, basking in the majestic architecture, decorations and tapestry that lined the corridors and rooms that he was able to sneak a peek into. Finally, they made it to another set of doors which were opened for them and they entered a large, open room.</p><p>The room had very little furniture and the floor consisted of a massive tile mosaic with interesting patterns and a heart shape in the centre. The turquoise and golden walls were lined with colossal doric order white pillars that stood from floor to the high ceilings. Up a set of round, shimmering gold stairs lay a magnificent white cushioned seat and in it, sat a tall, hunky lion with cream coloured fur and a red mane with two little, round ears poking out. On top of his mane sat a little golden crown with a pink heart in the middle and he also wore a beautiful light purple cape and sky blue briefs. As they entered, he appeared to be barking orders at a little bird servant of his, who respectfully bowed and scampered off elsewhere into the castle. Once the lion caught sight of the sheriff’s department and their guest walking in, his face appeared to light up. </p><p>“Hello Sheriff Mao Mao!” He waved enthusiastically, with a big grin on his face and briefly smiled in acknowledgement to Badgerclops, “How are you?”</p><p>“Fine, your grace.” Mao Mao replied, getting on one knee and bowing to him before getting back up to his standing position, “How are you?”</p><p>“Oh, I’m doing absolutely wonderful! As you know, I’m hosting a party this Saturday and I trust you two will be in attendance?”</p><p>“That we will, my liege.” Mao Mao assured him, “But we didn’t just come to RSVP, we’re actually here to introduce a new resident to the kingdom.”</p><p>Mao Mao reached back, grabbed Ren’s hand and led him forwards to stand in front of him and Badgerclops. Ren was busy listening to their conversation and didn’t expect to be thrown into it so soon, he felt a little unprepared and a bit anxious to now be the center of attention. </p><p>“This is Ren, he’s a traveller from far away and he’s staying with us for the time being.” Mao Mao introduced him, “He was attacked and robbed by bandits and has nowhere to go and I feel this kingdom could be a good home for him. What do you think?”</p><p>The lion stepped down the stairs and approached them, eyeing Ren up and down closely, carefully examining every bit of his body, making him feel more anxious. He was spun around and his back was studied up and down for a moment before he was turned back to face the lion and was given a warm, yet strong embrace.</p><p>“You poor thing!” They cried, giving him a firm pat on the back.</p><p>Ren felt awkward and wasn’t sure what to do so he gave into the hug and threw his arms around the lion’s muscled back. </p><p>“Wow, you’re strong.” Ren observed, feeling a little flustered.</p><p>“Ahaha, thank you!” The lion chuckled before breaking apart and clearing his throat, “Ahem. Good day to you, Ren. I am King Snugglemagne the Twenty-fifth. I am ruler of this kingdom and the Sweetypies.” </p><p>“Nice to meet you, uh… your greatness…?” Ren faltered his words, unsure of how to address him, “You’ve got a magnificent palace, it really reflects you as a leader.”</p><p>“You really think so?” Snugglemagne questioned him, seeming really intrigued.</p><p>“Totally, only someone so wonderful could run such a fine kingdom.” Ren replied, doing his best to butter him up, seeing as he had nowhere left to go, he felt here was a good of a place as any to stay for the time being, “Not to mention this gorgeous castle sorta mirrors both your outer and inner beauty. They’re both… stunning…” </p><p>“Oh!” Snugglemagne beamed, his cheeks blushing a bright red, “It appears we have quite the charmer in our midst!”</p><p>Ren chuckled nervously, “I guess so, I’m just pointing out things I like.” </p><p>Snugglemagne blushed an even darker shade of red and giggled gleefully, “Thank you!”</p><p>“You’re welcome.”</p><p>Taking a moment to clear his head from his thoughts, he clapped twice, which echoed sharply throughout the room and in a matter of seconds, a servant burst through the door carrying a silver tray where a golden chalice studded with little heart shaped jewels sat upon. The servant stopped short just in front of the king, who snatched the chalice with one mighty hand and sipped the beverage until completion. He set it back down on the tray when it was empty and the servant bowed and departed from the room. The king took a deep breath and exhaled before attempting to continue.</p><p>“Now, tell me, do you have anything of value to bring to this kingdom, my dear boy?” Snugglemagne inquired.</p><p>“I’m not sure, honestly.” Ren admitted, “What kinda stuff are you lookin for?”</p><p>“You know, plenty of things that could keep our economy going, or could meet the needs of myself… and others.” Snugglemagne quickly added, his face beginning to blush again, “Are you familiar with things like weaponry, martial arts or magic?”</p><p>“A little with weaponry, but I’m no expert.” Ren replied, “I’ve got no experience being a blacksmith of any sort but I’ve been known to tinker around with some cybernetic mechanics.”</p><p>“You have?” Badgerclops interrupted curiously.</p><p>“Yeah. An accomp- er… an old friend of mine used to have like a robotic eye and taught me a thing or two.” Ren answered, noticing Mao Mao’s ears flickering slightly.</p><p>“Would you ever wanna take a look at my arm?” Badgerclops offered, “I know I said I work alone earlier but a second pair of eyes could help. Plus I could always use a hand cleaning the gunk out, you wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore, Mao Mao.” He turned to Mao Mao, who appeared relieved at the idea, he would no longer have to scoop out his arm.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure I could help, maybe even tweak some stuff here and there if you need.” Ren replied happily, “Plus, if you ever want to show me a few things you’ve learned, I’d be down for that too.”</p><p>“Excellent!” King Snugglemagne exclaimed, clasping his hands together dramatically, “I think we’ve found a role for you in our kingdom. You could be the Sheriff’s Department’s maintenance crew and weaponry expert. Unfortunately you’re not paid as much as Mao Mao or Badgerclops but you’ll have some spending money for yourself.”</p><p>“Expert is a far stretch but I suppose I could do whatever I’m assigned.” Ren replied hopefully, “I’m glad I’ve got a roof over my head, so money isn’t a problem for me anyways.” </p><p>“Welcome to my kingdom, then!” Snugglemagne beamed, “I look forwards to seeing you around.”</p><p>“Thanks for welcoming me in.” Ren smiled, “I promise to help with whatever I’m tasked with and I can help with the sheriff and deputy here with protecting this place.”</p><p>Just then, he heard Mao Mao chuckling to himself and he turned to see him start to double over in laughter, clutching his stomach and throwing his head back exposing two rows of his sharp teeth. His laughter echoed throughout the room and he finally seemed to calm down after a moment and wiped a tear from his eye with his finger as everyone looked at him confused.</p><p>“Ahh, that was good.” Mao Mao snickered, “You helping us protect this kingdom.”</p><p>“You don’t think I could handle it?” Ren asked.</p><p>“Try doing what I do for a day. To my knowledge, you’re inexperienced with a lack of combat skills, nor do you have any law enforcement training.”</p><p>“I’m sure it isn’t hard to help people if you know what you’re doing.” Ren replied.</p><p>“I just don’t know if you have what it takes to be a legendary hero like me. It takes years of intense training and extreme perseverance.” Mao Mao said triumphantly, subtly flexing his muscles.</p><p>“Well, I bet I could pick up on a few things that I could use for myself.”</p><p>“Like self defence?” Mao Mao suggested.</p><p>“Sure, among whatever else you want to cram into my brain.”</p><p>“So you want to be like a protege? You want me to help you learn to be as heroic and awesome as I am?”</p><p>“If you’re willing to teach, I’m willing to learn.” Ren responded.</p><p>“Don’t you think he’d make a great addition to the team?” Badgerclops proposed, “He’s already gonna help around the house and at some point and if he can help us kick some ass, maybe it’s for the better?”</p><p>Mao Mao rubbed his chin in thought, “You wouldn’t be a deputy right away but I think we could consider you a rookie in training.”</p><p>At that moment, there appeared to be a loud commotion outside in the courtyard that reverberated in through a nearby open window. Mao Mao sprung into action, dashing over to it and peered out through the opening. He could see a couple of figures hunched over by the aerocycle and he signalled for Badgerclops and Ren to follow.</p><p>“Ta ta for now!” King Snugglemagne called, “Toodle-oo!”</p><p>“Goodbye! It was nice meeting you.” Ren exclaimed cheerfully.</p><p>“You too! See you soon.” Snugglemagne added with a cheeky wink.</p><p>Mao Mao dove out the window and landed triumphantly on the grass below while Badgerclops gripped the windowsill and extended himself down beside him with the robotic arm. Convinced he wouldn’t make the jump down without injuring himself, Ren cautiously scooted onto the window sill and climbed down by grasping different bricks that jutted out slightly from the wall until he made it to the ground. By then, Mao Mao had unsheathed his sword and Badgerclops began prepping his arm cannon for battle. As they cautiously approached, Ren could hear the huddled group whispering loudly to one another.</p><p>“Find it then! Where does it open?”</p><p>“I can’t find it boss.” </p><p>“Why don’t we take this entire hunk of trash and bring it back to the ship?”</p><p>“Wouldn’t that make it trickier to move? None of us thought to bring anything to carry it.”</p><p>“I’ll make you carry it yourself if you don’t pick up the pace.” </p><p>As it appeared the group didn’t notice the trio, Mao Mao signalled Ren to stop where he was, even waving his hand to step back a few feet.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Ren asked quietly, so as not to attract their attention.</p><p>“These are the Sky Pirates,” Mao Mao explained, “they’re a group of goons who keep getting beaten by us, but no matter how many times we boot them out of the kingdom, they keep coming back to try to steal the Ruby Pure Heart. They’re around our aerocycle right now because we use a power source for it that they can use to fuel their airship to steal it.”</p><p>“So what’s the plan? We’re all gonna kick their asses?”</p><p>“No, Badgerclops and I will, you stay back, you’re not getting involved in this.”</p><p>“What? C’mon man, you’ve got to be fuckin kidding. We just talked about you recruiting me back there.” Ren protested, “Now there’s a prime opportunity to teach me some stuff and I don’t get to partake? I’m willing to lend a hand to help you guys.”</p><p>“You get to watch us defeat them. I could show you a thing or two while we fight.” Mao Mao answered.</p><p>“Big deal. I said I’m a hands on learner, so what better way to pick up on experience than fighting these guys?” Ren continued, “Anybody in this kingdom could watch you guys fight but none of them would learn anything without the experience.”</p><p>“He does kinda have a point, dude.” Badgerclops chimed in.</p><p>“No, he doesn’t!” Mao Mao snapped back, “You can’t fight other people with weapons right away. You know what happens when you do? You get hurt.” He pointed to the area of Ren’s abdomen where he’d been slashed previously before he got to the valley. </p><p>“Wouldn’t I have been able to fight those dudes off if I had the experience in actually fighting-” Ren began before being cut off.</p><p>“Listen, Ren, you want to learn from me, then you gotta listen to me.” Mao Mao stated firmly, “We can’t have you get hurt by confronting these guys when you’ve got little to no experience in combat. Why not sit this one out and observe from a distance?” </p><p>Ren let out an exasperated, defeated sigh and plopped himself on the grass, leaning up against one of the hedges in the courtyard garden area and rested his arms on his legs and watched Mao Mao and Badgerclops advanced towards the Sky Pirates.</p><p>“Orangusnake!” He heard Mao Mao growl as he and Badgerclops took a defensive stance.</p><p>The leader, a tall bulky figure appearing to be an orangutan and a snake stuffed into large pinkish and purple armour spun around, “Ah Sheriff Mew Mew, I was wondering if you’d ever show up!”</p><p>“Cut the shit, Orangusnake. Stop trying to steal our aerocycle, you know you’ll never win.”</p><p>“Hey, don’t forget when I managed to steal it from you that one time.” Orangusnake reminded them.</p><p>“That was once and we got it back immediately after.”</p><p>“It was not immediately!” Orangusnake hissed.</p><p>While Mao Mao and Orangusnake began arguing, Ren stared up to the beautiful blue sky and watched the clouds roll past until he heard something that caught his ear, the sound of nails clicking on the ground. He looked down and noticed a small rat in what appeared to be orange armour scampering over to him and stopping at his feet. He stopped and stood up on his hind legs, looking up at Ren with little green eyes. </p><p>“Who are you s’posed to be?” The little rat asked, “Some kinda wannabe hero?”</p><p>“No. I’m nobody I guess. I’m just some guy.” Ren shrugged, seemingly dejected. </p><p>“You know, we’re just some guys too.” The rat replied, “But we’re all together in a group. When we’re in the group together, I’m no longer Ratarang and we’re all no longer just some guys. We’re the Sky Pirates.” </p><p>“So you don’t think I could be apart of the Sheriff’s Department, where I could actually be somebody?” </p><p>“Not when you don’t look like a hero, no. Don’t you think you’d fit in better with us?”</p><p>They were interrupted by the loud clanging sound from Mao Mao’s katana and Orangusnake’s axe colliding against one another as the pair engaged in battle.</p><p>“...people can change, can’t they?” Ren replied.</p><p>“Why do what you think is right when you can join us, where you could belong.” Ratarang offered, “The Sky Pirates could always use an extra pair of hands. These guys don’t need you. They’ve already got everything covered. You’d be contributing nothing to what they’re doing, but if you’re with us, we can always use more people like yourself. I’m sure you’d fit right in.”</p><p>All of a sudden, a loud clatter broke them from their concentration as Mao Mao’s katana bounced off the ground nearby. The black cat sprinted over to it and snatched it up from the ground. </p><p>“Cheap shot! Not fair! You can’t knock Geraldine out of my hands like that.”</p><p>“There are no rules!” Orangusnake screeched back at him. </p><p>“Just you wait until-” Mao Mao began before noticing Ren sitting out the ground seeming to speak with Ratarang, “Huh?! What the hell? What are you doing with him?”</p><p>“I’m just talking to him.”</p><p>“What? No! Don’t do that, don’t engage with the enemy.” Mao Mao cried.</p><p>“You told me not to confront them and I’m not getting hurt.” Ren reminded him, “Besides, I’m not fighting, I’m just talking and listening.”</p><p>“Ratarang, get back here!” Orangusnake called out.</p><p>“Think about what I told ya.” Ratarang said to Ren before running back to join Orangusnake.</p><p>Mao Mao assumed his defensive position yet again as Badgerclops attempted to flank the Sky Pirates, whose attention was primarily focused on the sheriff and Orangusnake’s battle.</p><p>“Badgerclops, now!” Mao Mao blurted out.</p><p>Ren watched Badgerclops aim his arm cannon towards the Sky Pirates, who turned in utter shock as the opening to the cannon began glowing a bright blue and fired off a round, slamming into the Sky Pirates who were blasted away up into the sky and sailed in a graceful arch before falling back down to the ground with a distant thud. Moments later, their weary voices called out;</p><p>“We’re okay!”</p><p>“We didn’t ask.” Badgerclops called back.</p><p>Mao Mao placed Geraldine back in its sheath while Badgerclops set his arm cannon to cool down mode as Ren seemed to stand in a confused silence, wondering how the Sky Pirates managed to survive being blown away like that. However, something else was lingering on his mind.</p><p>“Whew, alright.” Mao Mao breathed, “That’ll probably be the most exciting thing to happen today. Did you learn a little about one on one combat?”</p><p>“Uh… yeah, I guess?” Ren replied, feeling unsure.</p><p>“Excellent! I can already tell that I’m an amazing teacher. What do ya say, Ren, wanna tag along on our patrol today?” Mao Mao asked, stretching out his arm and shoulder muscles.</p><p>“Nah.” Ren replied solemnly, “Maybe another time. I need to take a walk to think about some shit, so you guys go ahead.”</p><p>“Want us to drop you off down in the village?” Badgerclops asked, hopping onto the backseat of the aerocycle.</p><p>“I’m good, thanks. I’ll just appreciate the view on my way down.” Ren said as he made his way towards the staircase that led all the way down from the castle to the ground below, “I’ll meet you guys at the house in a few hours.”</p><p>“Alright, but if you’re not home by 7, we’ll come looking for you and pick you up, okay?” Mao Mao stated.</p><p>Ren nodded and began making his way down the stairs while a few seconds passed and the aerocycle roared past him and flew down towards the village.</p><p>____________________________________________________</p><p>Over the next hour or so, things were relatively uneventful as Mao Mao and Badgerclops strolled around the village keeping an eye and ear out for anything. They both knew it would take a couple days before the Sky Pirates came back as Orangusnake seemed fond of wallowing in defeat and stewing in his sorrow for awhile. They kept their guard up in case any unusual creatures or monsters came storming into town but that had been less frequent lately, which Mao Mao chalked up to it plausibly being because of the seasonal shift from spring to summer. However, not long into their daily rounds, a few complaints began to stir up from the citizens.</p><p>“Somebody stole all the cobbler from my stand!” Farmer Bun exclaimed.</p><p>“Alright, Badgerclops, now this is a top priority. Keep a lookout for every citizen with cobbler crumbs or juice on their mouths, they could be the culprit. Let’s take this son of a bitch down.” Mao Mao growled as he finished scribbling down details in his notepad.</p><p>“Help!” A voice called out from a nearby street. </p><p>Mao Mao assured Farmer Bun he’d try to find and return all the stolen cobbler or have the thief face justice. He sprinted towards the source of the distress with Badgerclops tagging behind, muching on a delicious sandwich topped with ciabatta bread. Mao Mao rushed towards the source, finding Pinky standing in the alley with his arms cross looking furious.</p><p>“Pinky, what now?”</p><p>“Someone stole my whip when I wasn’t looking!” He fumed.</p><p>“Your… whip?” Badgerclops sputtered, almost choking on his sandwich.</p><p>“It’s none of your business.” Pinky sneered, “I just want to catch the punk bitch who did it and pound them!”</p><p>“Like… with your fists or…?” </p><p>“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Pinky grinned mischievously, making Badgerclops visibly recoil with morbid curiosity. </p><p>“Pinky, are you sure you didn’t misplace it?” Mao Mao questioned him.</p><p>“Are you sure you didn’t misplace it?” Pinky repeated in a mocking tone.</p><p>“Do you want to be arrested? We’re trying to help you, so don’t be dickish back to us.” </p><p>“I’m pissed!” Pinky roared, “Get me my shit back, now.”</p><p>“Last chance, I’m warning you.” Mao Mao grumbled.</p><p>“Eat a dick.”</p><p>Before he could slap a pair of handcuffs on Pinky’s wrists, another call for help rang out in the distance, causing the sheriff and his deputy to head towards the source while Pinky cursed at them from the dank, dark alley.</p><p>“What’s the problem?” Mao Mao asked.</p><p>“Somebody’s broken my shop windows!” </p><p>“And mine!”</p><p>“Mine too!”</p><p>Mao Mao held his hands up, gesturing for the Sweetypies to calm down, seeing as they had begun to become frantic and paranoid. </p><p>“Settle down, settle down. Please.” Mao Mao consoled them, “This is a pretty big deal and I’ll do my best to get to the bottom of this. Did anyone see anything when this happened? Did anyone see a suspect doing this?”</p><p>The Sweetypies shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders.</p><p>“I just heard the glass shatter and when I came out to the street, it looked empty.”</p><p>Mao Mao pulled out his notepad and began writing in it for a moment before closing it and tucking it away in his sash that hung around his waist. Carefully, he stepped over the broken glass and into one of the stores, picking up a rock that lay upon the hardwood floor and inspected it. Pinching it together between his gloved fingers, he observed no note was attached to it, which he found to be unusual.</p><p>“Hmm…” Mao Mao thought to himself.</p><p>“What’s up?” Badgerclops asked through the broken window, while standing out on the street.</p><p>“No note.” Mao Mao held up the rock so he could see, “In every instance of vandalized property I’ve investigated in the past involving windows being broken, a threatening note is usually left tied to the rock for the shopkeeper or home owner.”</p><p>Mao Mao stepped out over the broken glass once more and walked across the street, in through the adjacent store and picking up a chunk of brick that had been hurled through the front display window. It too had nothing tied to it and he investigated further at the final store where nothing was written upon the rock neither.</p><p>“So… no note?” Badgerclops asked, “What does that mean?”</p><p>“It means these Sweetypies weren’t targeted specifically.” Mao Mao replied, “At least, I don’t think they were.”</p><p>“Why these three businesses specifically?”</p><p>“Looks like a random act, maybe they would’ve continued but I’m guessing others came to check out the noise and that scared them off.” Mao Mao surmised, “You’re sure nothing was stolen, correct?”</p><p>“No.” The Sweetypies said in unison.</p><p>“Why would somebody do this without stealing shit?” Badgerclops inquired.</p><p>“Random act of violence? Could be for mischief, could be for attention?” Mao Mao answered, “Some people use strange methods to vent frustration.”</p><p>Before they could continue investigating any further, another cry for help resounded out just a few streets away.</p><p>“Fuckin hell, what’s going on?” Badgerclops groaned.</p><p>“You guys board up these windows and clean up the glass.” Mao Mao instructed, “We’ll catch the perp who did this and bring them to justice, alright? Stay safe, we’re going to see who needs our assistance..”</p><p>The two hurried down a side street and made their way towards where they’d heard the cry coming from...</p><p>Several hours later, the pair were exhausted and slumped in their chairs in an outdoor seating area outside Muffin’s bakery where they took a break to snack on some goods. Mao Mao dejectedly crunched away at an oatmeal raisin cookie while Badgerclops happily chowed down on several cookies and cupcakes, getting pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles smudged up on his cheeks while he ate. He managed to pick up on how Mao Mao was feeling and swallowed the last of his tasty treat and licked his fingers and lips. </p><p>“Hey bro, what’s wrong?”</p><p>“It’s nothing.” Mao Mao mumbled, placing his cookie down on his plate.</p><p>“No, it’s not. Tell me, it’s cool.” Badgerclops insisted.</p><p>“I feel shitty we just spent all day on a wild goose chase going after some criminal who managed to stay one step ahead of us. Whenever we were investigating a new problem, another one arose. Hell, we’ve had to take a break and there could be more stuff happening while we’re just sitting here, eating.” Mao Mao moped. </p><p>“Don’t worry. We’ll get em dude. I promise you, we will.” Badgerclops assured him happily, “We always get em in the end.”</p><p>Mao Mao nodded but stayed quiet. They had enough notes but not enough leads to investigate further. As they ate, nobody had been calling out for assistance and it had been awhile since the chaos seemed to settle down. Mao Mao left his cookie on his place and stood up and walked over to the aerocycle and mounted it while Badgerclops swiped the half eaten cookie from Mao’s plate and stuffed it into his mouth. He hopped on board as well, sitting on the back behind him and the two took off, flying through the air and circled back towards home where they were eager to kick back, relax and show Ren what they do when they weren’t on the job and to make him feel more comfortable during their stay.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>To Be Continued...</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>To be continued...</p></blockquote></div></div>
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